I wasn't
completely unaware of the foolishness of this
endeavor. I stood at the top of the stairs,
holding an HD camera that was worth more than some a
lot of these people make in a year. A lot more.
But I really, really, really wanted a "Running in
Nairobi" video so I could make a huge "World Tour"
video next month. So I just figured I would run
around the block. Before anyone could understand what
I was doing, I'd be long gone.
...and then I got
fucking lost. And I don't mean was on the wrong road,
I mean I turned into 2 dead-ends and believe me,
people noticed the only white man spinning around
looking lost who just happened to be holding a camera
in front of him. I finally did find my way, and now
I'm safely on the bus to Mombasa. The video however is
so interesting, it needs no music, no editing - you
have to hear every sound, and if you can watch it in
HD - you can actually see people turning their heads
looking at me like I'm crazy...
If your
computer can handle it (meaning it doesn't stutter
once it's loaded) click the "HD" button...
incredible.
I mean, think
about what I have to do to make the running
videos. I hold the camera out as far as I can in
front of me. Pretty universal sign for "Here, would
you like this?" What an easy steal. And oh how I
would've deserved it. Let's go to one of the poorest
nations on the planet and run my ass around them with
a camera they couldn't afford in their lifetimes.
And it's
funny, at the start of the video? Some kids
were laughing with me, a guy says "hi" and
then you notice about halfway through that
I'm getting different types of stares.
Then it was just the mad-dash to get back to
the apartment. You can even see me go "whew"
at one point, and you'll notice a few times I
bring the camera into me because I
thought someone was gonna swipe it. Ugh. In
the picture to the right, I'm realizing I'm
lost. Priceless.
Now I have no way
of knowing if the neighborhood that I'm in is good or
bad, 'cause it's just hard to determine in a 3rd world
country. But clearly, these people are very poor and
seriously? I would've ripped me off. LOL. What a
freaking dumbass I am.
The people we're
staying with, Judy and Rumba, are absolutely awesome,
welcoming and I would take them in any time they
needed. They've bent over backwards to make us feel at
home, help us get bus tickets, not get screwed over,
show us around... and they're just so used to "the
fight", you know? I mean my struggles are all
self-made because I'm trying to make it in show-biz,
and keep my house. Legitimate struggles, but I really
am in a land of opportunity. They are not, and it
doesn't even phase them. They just keep on rockin' it.
Love that.
For
example, there's a water shortage because of
lack of rain. They only have running water
Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Saturdays. You make
due by rationing water in big bins and
basically sponge bathing. Then to boot, the
electricity went out today (in the middle of
trying to upload at the internet cafe of
course) and you just feel like you're
fighting a never-ending battle. It's like
going up the down escalator just to start
your day.
The strong survive
though. And I totally respect what Judy & Rumba
have overcome to get where they are. I hope to keep in
touch with them the rest of my life.
I'm also
hyper-aware that they are not poor. Worldwide
standards? They're kickin' ass. It's only from an
American point of view that we can act like this is
some sort of unliveable situation. At no point do I
think of them as needy - I think of them as strong.
Listen, I haven't had a refrigerator for like 6 or 7
months now to save money on bills and if for some
reason I only had water on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and
Saturdays - I would rock that shit. You should
see how well I ration that water during the
sponge bath. I've already figured out that you do the
REALLY dirty places last 'cause by that point
the water is already kinda dirty...I'm adaptable as a
mofo. It's what The Journey is based on... even if
it's something as superficial as "making it". Believe
me, it's the same skill -- it's all relative to the
challenge at hand.
Alright, I have no
idea what Mombasa holds. I know Linda has a lead
on a story and that we're spending a couple days in
Malindi which is Beach Town, so I'll get to step foot
in the Indian Ocean. That makes me very happy. As I've
reiterated for several entries now, I'm having the
time of my life. And the best part is that it only
gets better once I get back to LA. My good fortune is
so overwhelming I have to change thoughts in my
head because it's too much to process. I mean, I got
an email from Gary Grossman and while waiting for it
to open (like 30-45 seconds after you click the
email), my mind was racing with what could have gone
wrong...
"You
did great. Just great. More than just great. Really
great. Really really great."
Still floatin'
downstream. :-)
Now I gotta shut off
this laptop as I'm the freakin' brightest thing in
this entire overnight bus. Oh and have I mentioned how
ridiculous people drive here? They're ALWAYS in
on-coming traffic trying to get around cars. It
finally occured to me a few minutes ago that I'm on
that bus. You know that bus crash you hear
about that's so far-fucking away that it doesn't even
register? Say, I don't know, a bus from Nairobi to
Mombasa? And you're like - wow, 95 people dead - that
sucks, but where the hell is Mombasa? Yeah, that's the
bus I'm on. LOL. I'm never gonna bitch about traffic
laws in the states again -- they do actually save
lives...
...except the
Camera Cops. That will always be wrong. See you in
Mombasa.
